Volunteer Advocates

Are you interested in becoming a Volunteer Advocate? Please contact Kala at: kala@deafdove.org

DOVE believes in building a community of empowered, knowledgeable, and skilled advocates. Our staff can't do it all! We depend on our wonderful volunteer advocates (VAs) to provide a variety of services across the state of Colorado.

By building a pool of trained volunteers, DOVE also intentionally scatters seeds of anti-violence resistance in the Colorado Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing (DDBDDHH) community. Our VAs become upstanders instead of bystanders, proactive instead of reactive, supportive friends/relatives instead of critical to loved ones, and eager to speak out against instances of oppression and abuse.

Under our Volunteer Advocates program, VAs provide crisis intervention, technical assistance to service providers, and support during times of struggle (urgent relocations, shelter stays, involvement in the civil legal system, etc.).

Some of our past clients want to share their stories with others, and to provide personalized emotional support to folks currently experiencing abuse. Some victims/current survivors struggle with feeling alone in their experiences, and want to know how others coped or broke free of the abuse. VAs who identify as survivors themselves need to be ready and willing to discuss their journey with current DOVE clients, and to provide ongoing emotional support. This is why we strongly encourage and seek out VAs who identify as past survivors of abuse.

DOVE provides 30 hours of VA training for members of the DDBDDHH community at least once per calendar year. VAs must contact Kala, and DOVE staff will screen all interested participants and follow up with you for an in-person or videophone interview.

Training topics include:

domestic violence

sexual assault

intersections of abuse and systemic barriers

youth relationship abuse

child abuse

criminal justice system

victim advocacy

survivor mentorship

vicarious trauma

Those who identify as Black, Indigenous/Native, or People of Color; LGBTQI; and/or as survivors of abuse are strongly encouraged to apply!